Michael Baker International awarded contract to develop California master planned community

Pittsburgh — Michael Baker International was awarded a $2.4 million contract to serve as the prime consultant to provide land development services to plan, design and construct more than 500 homes in the City of Lake Forest, Calif. The Serrano Summit master planned community will include approximately 60 acres of medium density residential development, two neighborhood parks, a private community recreation center, a nine-acre civic center and a 3.2-acre nature park along the Serrano Creek Trail.

The Serrano Summit Area Plan provides a framework for development of an approximately 100-acre master planned community that will feature public and private uses. Originally owned by the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD), the property has been subdivided into three main components; 13 acres deeded to the City of Lake Forest for the construction of a new Civic Center, 27 acres retained by the IRWD to continue operation of the Baker Water Treatment Plant, and the remaining 60 acres sold to Lennar Homes in September 2017 for the development of more than 500 residential units combined with parks and recreation areas, and existing and future public facilities.

“Creating premier, sustainable communities is a cornerstone of Michael Baker’s Land Development practice” said Mike Tylman, Michael Baker’s West Region Practice Lead for Land Development. “The firm’s breadth of services, integrated and schedule-driven approach to all stages of the land development process, provide clients with innovative and practical solutions to create desirable places to live, work and play.”

The Michael Baker team will provide site planning, tentative tract maps for six residential villages, grading and infrastructure design, construction staking, and final mapping and condominium plans. The community of tightly integrated neighborhoods will maximize distance views, provide connections to nature trails, parks and additional open space amenities of Serrano Creek. The design guidelines for the residential community emphasize sustainable features, a multimodal, pedestrian-friendly circulation system and a variety of medium-density housing types to meet the needs and budget of diverse groups of interested buyers.

Work on this contract is scheduled to begin January 2018, with home construction commencing late 2018 and project completion anticipated in 2022.